There’s no doubt that America is filled with some of the most spectacular mountain vistas and landscapes in the world. Thankfully, the National Park Service has been able to preserve so many of these areas.
And while visits to Yosemite and the Grand Canyon are amazing in their own right, sometimes it’s the lesser-known and off the beaten path parks that offer truly amazing experiences.
That’s what you’ll find with Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
In this post, we’ll share a bit about this often unknown park and what you can do it you decide to make the trip.
About Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Located on Alaska’s border with the Canadian Yukon, it’s vast. The park actually runs from the Gulf of Alaska to Mount St. Elias which sits at over 18,000 feet and is the second tallest mountain in both the US and Canada.
Because of its size, the park is bigger than Switzerland and there is a massive amount of diversity to check out. You can wander protected shorelines and inlets along the Gulf of Alaska, voyage along rivers, stand on a glacier (or two), and even climb a few alpine peaks. There are four major mountain ranges in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve and you can find more than half of the countries tallest mountains right here.
Things to Do
Because the park is so remote, and winter hits early in Alaska, there’s only a limited window to experience Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve each year. So if you are planning a trip, look to a time between June and mid-September that way you’ll still have access to all the park services.
During the summer months, there are guided park tours that include talks, walks, and special activities led by a ranger. Also in the summer, you can enjoy pretty much any other activity that you’d find at many of the other National Parks. There are miles of hiking trails, which are relatively rugged, but you can work with local tour guides to plan day trips.
The park is remote and rugged. Because of that, most visitors are those who are a bit more experienced when it comes to camping and hiking deeper into the mountains, which are often snowcapped. For other adventures, you can also team up with local guides on river rafting experiences too.
Getting There
Want to make the drive to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve? Well, the directions are pretty easy since there are only two roads that enter the park. Both of these are gravel and enter some rough terrain, so it’s important to make sure your vehicle is prepared. Also, note that the roads typically aren’t maintained in the winter months.
If you’re coming from the south and west, by way of Anchorage, take the McCarthy road from Chitina. The other road, which serves those coming from the north and east is the Nabesna Road. It’s off Highway 1 and is about three and a half hours from Beaver Creek, Yukon.
Ready?
Are you ready to see Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve now? Start planning your trip today. You can find affordable hotel accommodations with the help of our sister site, HotelCoupons.com.
